Consumers plan to spend a collective $24 billion on Easter this year, up from $20.8 billion in 2022 and the previous record high of $21.7 billion in 2020, according to an annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. Eighty-one percent of Americans will celebrate the holiday and spend an average of $192.01, the highest figure on record.

“Easter endures as an important holiday for many Americans, signifying new beginnings and a time of celebration with friends and family,” NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said. “As consumers plan to mark the occasion through a variety of traditions, retailers are dedicated to making this year a memorable holiday.”

Spending is growing across several categories, and the top Easter items consumers say they are planning to purchase include candy ($3.3 billion), gifts ($3.8 billion) and food ($7.3 billion). Consumers are also expected to spend $4 billion on clothing, $1.8 billion on flowers and $1.7 billion on decorations, along with $1.1 billion on greeting cards.

The most popular Easter Sunday activities this year include cooking a holiday meal (56 percent), visiting family and friends (50 percent), going to church (43 percent) or planning an Easter egg hunt (34 percent).

As in previous years, most consumers (54 percent) say they will buy Easter gifts from discount stores. Other shopping destinations include department stores (42 percent), online (33 percent), local and small businesses (22 percent), and specialty stores (20 percent).

Those celebrating say they are inspired to shop for Easter-related items because of tradition (63 percent), it’s a social activity with family or friends (31 percent), sales or promotions (29 percent), store displays or decorations (23 percent), or exclusive or seasonal products (20 percent). About half (54 percent) of those not celebrating the holiday still plan to take advantage of Easter-related bargains. They anticipate spending $23.41 per person and are primarily looking to purchase candy and food.